


Shards of Fate

by Avenrose



Category: Castlevania (Cartoon), 悪魔城ドラキュラ | Castlevania Series
Genre: Blood Drinking, Canon-Typical Violence, Fake Science, M/M, Magic, Post-Canon, Post-Series, Series Spoilers, Slow Burn, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-16
Updated: 2017-07-27
Packaged: 2018-12-02 20:04:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11516457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avenrose/pseuds/Avenrose
Summary: The Hunter and the Scholar have met up with the Sleeping Soldier, but things are about to take a turn for the worse when they learn that there's more to the prophecy than they originally thought.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just saw the Castlevania series and I loved it! I wrote this up almost immediately after.  
> I'm messing with post canon at this point, just a heads up.

Gresit is a graveyard when they make it back to the surface. There are bodies strewn across the entire square with extreme prejudice. It’s clear that they didn’t die quickly.

“What?” Sypha whispers as she looks around in horror and Trevor just sighs.

“The demons must not have liked the townsfolk fighting back.” He says, stepping over a dismembered arm. Sypha turns and quickly makes her way to the Speakers lodgings, a tremor of fear clearly going through her body at the possibility of what might be waiting for her. Trevor follows dutifully, inwardly cursing out Speakers who didn’t know how to stay hidden. If Sypha returned to the surface to give aid during the night raid, then Trevor doesn’t doubt that the others came up as well. He only hopes now – for their sakes – that Sypha wasn’t the only Speaker Magician that they had in their group.

“Grandfather!” Sypha calls out when she sees the damaged house. The structure has mostly survived the night, despite Trevor’s own personal destruction caused to it. She looks around the open area, cupping her hands at her mouth and shouting again. Trevor tries not to think about how her voice echoes in the empty square. He looks around at the chaos and his eyes eventually land on the golden haired vampire of Speaker lore. Alucard, or Adrian, or whatever his name is looks at the carnage surrounding them with no emotion on his face. He looks out of place amongst the blood and the rubble, completely pristine and cold like carved marble.

“Sypha!” A voice breaks Trevor’s thoughts towards the vampire as the brunet boy from before comes rushing out of one of the nearby sheds. The two Speakers embrace before he’s pulling Sypha along with him urgently. “Hurry! Come!” He’s saying as they rush into the building where the rest of their survivors are no doubt waiting. Trevor follows along at his own rate, the vampire following his lead silently.

They enter the building a minute or so later, and Trevor rolls his eyes with how the last five Speakers stare at Alucard like he’s the fucking second coming. They don’t seem to have the courage to approach him though, so they mostly keep to themselves, whispering and glancing his way. It’s really fucking annoying and it’s not even directed at him.

“Belmont.” The boy comes over. “He’d like to speak with you.” Trevor nods and steps over, going to the back where Sypha is sitting next to her dying grandfather. Trevor gives him a once over and he already knows a lost cause when he sees one. There’s no hope for him.

“…Bel..mont.” He says softly before coughs shake his injured body and Trevor pulls over a small stool to sit closer to him.

“I’m here old man.” He says and Sypha gives him a small glare over the smile her grandfather gets.

“You…found him?” He asks and Trevor nods.

“Yup. He’s right over there, if you want me to grab him for you.” He shakes his head a tiny amount.

“No…there is something…I must tell you.” He takes a deep breath. “The story…there is a second half…” Trevor sends a brief glance up to Sypha and watches the confused surprise cross her face. “You must…be aware of your true…mission.” He coughs again and Trevor turns around.

“Can we get some water over here?” He snaps and the other Speakers look at him for a second before Alucard goes to the door and steps out. Trevor turns back to the old man who grips his hand in a weakened and shaky grip.

“…the stories go…that the sleeping soldier will be joined-” Trevor nods and cuts him off to try and spare his strength.

“I know, by a hunter and a scholar. Golden boy over there already mentioned it.” He says. “The three of us are supposed to go defeat Dracula together.” The old man takes a few laborious breaths and Trevor can tell that he doesn’t have long.

“That is…only half of the story.” He admits. “The sleeping soldier…will decide the fate…of this world…” He coughs. “…he will either remain a force for good…and protect mankind…or he will fall to the darkness…and condemn us all.” Trevor glances up at Sypha again and she’s hanging onto his every word. “…you two…must protect him…you must…shield him.”

“I don’t know, vampire Jesus over there is pretty tough.” Trevor says, trying to add a bit of levity to the situation and the old man’s grip tightens like Trevor has said something wrong and he doesn’t have much time to correct him.

“…this is not a battle…of physical strength Trevor Belmont…this is a battle….of will…of heart and of…soul.” He turns away from Trevor to look at Sypha, giving her a small smile. “I know…that you will do me proud.” He says softly and she nods, tears running down her face. There’s a movement at the entrance again as Alucard re-enters the shed. He’s carrying with him a bucket full of fresh water and Trevor can’t help but wonder where he went to locate it in such a short amount of time. “…I wish…to meet him…” Trevor nods and turns, waving Alucard over as he stands to let the other take his previous place. The vampire approaches instantly, taking the seat and using a small cup to get some water and offer it to the Head Speaker. The old man takes it gratefully, a couple small sips before being laid back down and he just smiles at Alucard. “What is… your name son?”

“I am called Alucard.” He answers easily.

“I am pleased…to meet you…Alucard.”

“You should not speak.” Alucard says more gently than Trevor would have given him credit for. “You’re bleeding internally, and speaking is just speeding it along.”

“I am finished…” The old man says, with no fear in his voice and Trevor can respect him for that while Sypha makes a wounded noise of distress at her grandfather’s words. “…and I wish to impart this…to you before you go…” He holds out his hand and Alucard takes it easily. “…you will be challenged young one…there will be darkness waiting…for you where you…are heading…please hold on…to the gift she gave you…let it withstand all that…will be thrown your way.” The old man seizes a little, coughing and trying to gasp in air. There’s a few moments of gasping before the body goes limp and Trevor knows that the spirit has left it. Sypha lets out a wailing cry, throwing herself onto his dead body and Alucard stands, walking away and exiting the shed to give her time with her loss. Trevor waits a few moments, saying his own goodbye to the old man before he leaves the Speakers to do what they need to do with the body.

The sun is creeping up over the horizon as Trevor comes over and leans against a brick wall nearby, watching the vampire take it in.

“Do you need to find a dark place to lay low till the sun goes down?” Trevor asks and Alucard shakes his head.

“No, I do not.” He replies and Trevor shrugs to himself, looking out over the dead town square. There’s a part of him, a part buried deep and long thought dead, that feels pity for these people. They didn’t ask for this. They didn’t ask for Dracula’s army to come and terrorize them like this because of the actions of one batshit crazy priest.

But the other part of him wins out over the pity, and can’t help but feel that this is a kind of payment for the stupidity of the masses. There was once a time when something like this could have never happened. When hunter families like the Belmont’s protected the cities and the townsfolk from the monsters of the night. But they’re not here anymore, there are no more after Trevor because of the evils done to them by the hands of these long dead villagers.

In a way, it feels slightly poetic and it makes Trevor hate himself a tiny bit to think of it that way.

“You mentioned the Speaker prophecy.” Trevor says after a little while of silence and Alucard glances in his direction. “What do you know about it?”

“Not much I’m afraid.” Alucard admits easily. “I had heard the story once in my youth, but I did not connect it with myself until you and Sypha came down to my keep.”

“Well that’s still more than I’ve heard. So spill.”

“I’ve already told you all that I know. It says that the ‘sleeping soldier’ will be joined by a hunter and a scholar, and that the three of them will fight the darkness covering the land of Wallachia.”

“That’s it? That’s the whole thing?” Alucard tilts his head a little.

“I am unsure if that is the whole story, but it is the entirety of it that I know.”

“Sounds far too short and far too fucking simple.” Trevor says with an eye roll as he crosses his arms.

“Perhaps.” Alucard agrees. “And perhaps there is more, but I do not think that we will locate the rest anytime soon.” Trevor understands what Alucard is saying without saying it aloud. With the passing of the old man, all of the oral stories and information that he held with him, that he might not have shared, have now died with him.

That’s why Trevor kind of hates how the Speakers operate. If they were like everyone else, they’d just be able to go and look it up in a family book or something, but now it’s gone. Lost forever because of their stupid fucking traditions.

He wonders how much history has been lost from dead Speakers and he realizes that he’d rather not know. The number was probably far too vast to truly understand anyway.

“How many survivors do you think there are?” Trevor asks after a minute and Alucard shakes his head.

“Not many. They’re scattered and scared. I very much doubt that they’ll leave their hideaways anytime soon.”

“Well, we’ll have to drag them out. The Speakers can’t stay here anymore than any other survivor. We’ll drop them off back in a town I passed coming this way.” He thinks of the asshole with the shovel fascination and a tendency to fuck goats. “I mean, it’s a shit hole, but sadly…It’s better than this.”

“I’ll go, and see what might be done.” Alucard says as he turns and walks away without giving Trevor time to respond, and Trevor just watches him go.

 _“The sleeping soldier will decide the fate of this world. He will either remain a force for good and protect mankind, or he will fall to the darkness and condemn us all.”_ The words of the old man replay in his head and he sighs.

He thinks he liked it better when his days just consisted of getting drunk and finding tall trees.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I got this typed up pretty quickly and I figured I'd just post it!

Despite Trevor’s constant warnings about burning daylight, the Speakers take the majority of the day to perform their ritual rites for their dead. He figures that he’s not actually all that surprised that the small group is willing to risk life and limb just to appease the spirits of their departed loved ones, since they were all ready to get torn apart by an angry mob just because Sypha had been turned into a stone statue and hadn’t returned to them.

Alucard has been steadily returning with people throughout the day though, so at least it’s not a complete waste of time. The blonde haired vampire has set up shop in one of the lesser damaged homes and continues to leave and come back with more and more terrified survivors. Trevor himself has been tasked with standing guard, just in case, and with providing a small amount of security to the townsfolk who remember the hunter who almost led them to victory before the catacombs of Gresit swallowed him under.

They’re a small group, maybe forty or so, and Trevor almost wonders if they can really be considered ‘survivors’ at all with the blank looks in their tired eyes. Alucard returns a few moments later holding a young woman who is missing far too much tissue on her leg from a demons claws. He takes her inside and returns to Trevor’s side seconds later.

“Is that it?” Trevor asks before the vampire can get a word in and he nods.

“That is all the living of Gresit.” He replies and Trevor glances over at the small group. “Have the Speakers finished their rites?”

“Are you kidding?” Trevor sighs. “I’m pretty sure they’ve only finished with one, maybe two if we’re lucky. We’re going to be here all day.” _And all night._ He doesn’t say, but he doesn’t really have to.

“The demons are unlikely to attack after last night.” Alucard says in response to the unspoken words anyway.

“Why not? Not enough sport for them?” He asks and Alucard tilts his head a little in agreement. He takes a second and glances back at the house.

“There are far too many injured to attempt a long journey at this time.” He says, looking over the square. “I shall look for anything that can be used to help. See if you can find anything to make the journey easier.”

“Like what?”

“Carts, food, containers for water.” Alucard answers easily as he turns and walks back down the decrepit streets. Trevor sighs as he pushes off of the wall where he’s been standing ‘guard’. He goes over to the entrance of the house and looks in.

“Hey.” He calls, grabbing all of their attentions. “Whoever’s strong enough to help, get your asses out here. We need carts and food for the journey.” There’s no movement for a while, but one of them eventually speaks up against him.

“What journey?” They spit, their words carrying the unspoken questions of: Where can we possibly go? What else is there? Why bother, aren’t we all dead anyway?

And it kind of pisses Trevor off.

“Look. I don’t know what you think is happening here, but I’m not here to hold your hand and save you from your own pity party. If you want to live, if you want there to even be a chance of tomorrow and you’re strong enough to get off your ass – then get outside. Otherwise, rot in Gresit for all I care.” There’s some not so muffled tears that come at his harsh statement, but hell – this is reality. He’s not going to be there for them forever. He’s got a certain vampire to kill and a certain army to send back to the underworld.

A few of them do eventually get up and shuffle outside like zombies, and Trevor figures he’ll have to make due. “Don’t wander out of sight, don’t go into the shadows for anything and make it back here before the sun starts to set. Understood?” They nod slowly. “Then let’s go.” He heads out with them, and returns pretty victorious with a slab of dried goat that has managed to only fall in dirt and avoid all of the blood and gore lying around. There isn’t much to be scavenged from Gresit, but his little army of zombies manage to return with the supplies he’s asked for. Trevor drops the goat down on one of the carts and goes inside, looking for Alucard. He finds the vampire inside, tending the injured that he’s brought back and the image is a little surreal.

He’s taken off his stupidly elaborate coat, draping it over the remains of a broken chair off in the corner, and has covered himself with a folded up sheet like an apron. His hair is tied up with a ribbon, his sleeves are rolled up and he looks so much like a harmless doctor that it throws Trevor for a second and he just stands there and watches as Alucard takes a small cloth that he must have cleaned, and rinses it in a tiny amount of water nearby before lightly cleaning the wounds on the small child that he’s currently tending. A couple of the people who had been worse off are already sporting bandages, and look a tiny bit better than they first did when Alucard brought them in.

“Are you an angel?” The tiny voice of the child Alucard’s helping reaches Trevor’s ears and he can’t hold back the snort of amusement at the question as Alucard gets a soft smile and shakes his head.

“No little one. I am not.”

“You look like an angel.” He says, his eyes looking over the golden hair and delicate features of the vampire with no small amount of hero worship. There’s a small tremor of uncertain fear though, winding through the boy and Trevor is a little surprised by how soft and patient the vampire is being with the child.

“What is your name?” Alucard asks, gently taking the boy’s arm and starting to clean up a rather nasty looking gash on it. The boy cringes, looking torn between letting Alucard assist and pulling his arm away from the pain.

“Radu.” He says and Alucard nods.

“Radu? That’s a good, strong name.” He says and the boy seems to puff up his chest a tiny amount. “I am Alucard.” The vampire continues on in that way, making pointless small talk and drawing the child into the conversation as if to distract him from the healing process.

Trevor’s a little impressed with how well Alucard is handling being around all this fresh blood. He’s seen and hunted vampires before. Hungry, base and violent creatures with no real thought in their pathetic brains past eating when a bleeding human is nearby. He knows that Alucard is somehow only half. The child of motherfucking Dracula and some human woman that the Bishop had burned at the stake, but this is the first time he’s really seen a stark difference between those vampires he’s hunted and the creature in front of him.

“Do you need something Belmont?” Alucard asks over his shoulder, and Trevor shakes his head.

“The sun’s going down soon.” He deflects and his words make the people quake in fear. “Just wanted to give you a heads up.” Alucard nods. “I’m going to go check in on the Speakers. See how much longer it’s going to be. Are you going to be okay here?”

“Yes.” Alucard says assuredly and Trevor nods, turning and leaving the house. It’s not hard to find the Speakers, and their funeral pyre for their deceased that is going to draw demons to them regardless of anything if it keeps up after the sun goes down.

“Not to put a damper or anything on this, but how much longer?” He asks the first one he comes across and they look up for a moment.

“This is the last.” She says and Trevor nods.

“You know we can’t keep that fire going for much longer.” He warns and he gets a nod before they bow their head again and Sypha starts spouting off some mumbo jumbo in a language he doesn’t recognize. He sighs and crosses his arms, only bowing his head when the other looks at him judgmentally.

Luckily, Sypha’s control of magic lets her put out the fire instantaneously and Trevor thinks about how useful that’ll be on their journey to kill Dracula. She comes over to him, her eyes looking around for a certain half-breed.

“Where is Alucard?” She asks, and he inclines his head back to the house.

“He’s with the others.” He says and she gives him a look like he’s done something wrong.

“Why aren’t you with him?”

“Because I came out here to try and make sure that you all hurried it up, and didn’t lead any hoards to us tonight.” She puffs up a little, and he can’t help but feel a little defensive in the face of her irritation.

“He shouldn’t be left alone. You heard my grandfather. He is our only hope-”

“Or our destruction. Yeah, I caught the highlights.” He cuts her off. “And while I know that you subscribe to this ‘messiah’ bullshit – I don’t. He’s fine. We can take our eyes off of him for five seconds and he’ll still be fine.” He says and she shakes her head like he just doesn’t get it and walks back with the other Speakers to where they’ll be staying the night. “How many of you are magician’s?” He asks them when they arrive and they all look at two of them. “Alright, you’ll be part of guard duty. If any demons come, it’ll be up to us to defend everyone.” They nod, looking so serious in their mission and it makes Trevor sigh as he walks back inside.

Sypha is standing off to the side, watching Alucard finish up with the patients he has left. The young boy, Radu, has clearly labeled himself some kind of assistant to the vampire and Alucard seems to be rolling with it. Telling him strange things like: Never use a cloth that has someone’s blood on it for someone else, always wash your hands between people, keep your tools clean and whatnot. Radu is nodding along, clearly taking all of this to heart as if some torch is going to be handed off to him at the end of all this and it just makes Trevor shake his head.

“See, he’s fine.” He mutters to Sypha and she gives him a slightly irritated look before looking back at the vampire for a moment. “You should get some rest while you can. You’ll be on guard duty at some point in time and you’ve been using-” _wasting_ he doesn’t say, “Your magic all day on the pyres. Go get some sleep.” She takes a second before she nods.

“Wake me up when it’s my turn.”

“I will.” He assures and she goes over to a corner and lies down. Some of the survivors are sending nasty looks to her, one of the Speakers that they believe brought this down upon them and Trevor just runs a hand through his hair in aggravation.

They need to hurry up and drop these people off at the next town. They’re already getting on his last nerve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment and/or kudo! I'd love to know what you think so far!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I'm on a roll. Here's the next chapter for you all!

The rising of the sun proves Alucard right in his assurances that the hoard would likely pass them by for the night. Trevor's gotten a few precious hours of sleep, more than he’s gotten consecutively in a while and he’s ready to get started on this suicide quest.

“Sypha.” He calls, grabbing the woman’s attention as the house starts to wake up around them. “Take the Speakers to the front gates. We’re going to need to clear a path if we want to get out of here.” She nods at his orders, and waves a hand at the other two magicians to follow her as they go to do what’s been asked of them. “Alright, everyone else. Up and at ‘em. We need to leave as soon as the Speakers clear the way.” He says, tapping his foot up against one of the sleeping citizen’s boot to stir them. “Let’s start loading people up on the carts.” It still takes a moment for them to follow his commands, but at least it’s a little faster than yesterday’s effort so he’ll take it.

He goes over to where Alucard is already moving about, packing up what’s left of his supplies. “You know a lot about this stuff.” He says in lieu of a morning greeting and Alucard nods.

“My mother first came to my father to be a doctor.” He says, folding up the small, torn cloths. “They taught me over the years as well.” There’s a little bit of surprise that hits Trevor at the statement.

“Dra-” He cuts himself off quickly, mindful of their potential audience. He doubts they’re listening, but there’s no reason to tempt fate like that. “Your father was a doctor?” It sounds ridiculous saying it aloud and Alucard shakes his head in the negative.

“No. He is a scientist. What is medicine however, but science with the intent of understanding the body? He knew much, and he shared it all with her.” Trevor takes a second to take that all in as Alucard turns and looks for the young boy, calling out to him.

“Radu?” He quickly pops up, blinking away any sleep out of his eyes. “Can you please make sure this gets on one of the carts?” He asks, handing Radu the pouch of supplies and Radu takes it like it’s the Holy Grail and nods, rushing outside with it. “Is there something else on your mind, Belmont?” Alucard inquires, as he grabs his jacket and pulls it on.

“We’re going to be out in direct sunlight for a few hours. I know you handled it pretty well yesterday, but you would have had places to duck away from it every so often. Do we need to find a tarp or something for you?” Alucard picks up his sword and slides it back into the holder on his hip.

“I will be fine.” He says and Trevor crosses his arms.

“It’s no trouble to find a bloody tarp if you need it. Don’t waste your energy fighting off the sun if you don’t have to. Nobody’s asking you to be a fucking martyr.” Alucard turns to him, taking him in for a moment in silence.

“I appreciate the concern, but the sun does not affect me.” Alucard eventually admits. “I do not know if that is true for all dhampir’s, but it has been true for me.”

“Is that what they call your kind? Dhampir’s?” Trevor asks. He’s never heard the word before, and hell – before he met Alucard he would have said it was impossible for a vampire to hold back the need to rip out a human’s throat long enough to have sex, let alone to do that and let them go so as to sire a child with them.

“It is what my father referred to me as. I’ve never heard of there being another like me, nor have I met one. It is quite possible that I am the first of my kind.” Trevor nods, figuring that’s probably true enough. Alucard glances out of the window at the carts. “They are almost finished, we should be going.” The two of them exit the house right as the Speakers return, obviously victorious from their stances.

“All clear?” He asks anyways and Sypha nods.

“We’ve handled the blockade.” She confirms and Trevor motions to the carts.

“Alright then, let’s get going.” He points to a few of the people. “You, you, you and you.” He says, motioning them to the front of the carts. “Grab a post and let’s start walking. We’ll trade out every so often.” They move to do what’s been told of them and Alucard approaches.

“I can assist with one.” He says and Trevor shakes his head.

“You pulled guard and doctor duty all night. Get some rest, you’ll be part of the second or third shift out.” He holds up a finger to silence the vampire when Alucard goes to say something in disagreement with him and he shakes his head. “Nope. This is how it’s working. Get on the cart and sleep if you can. I’ll wake you up when it’s time to switch.” Alucard lets out a soft sigh before pulling himself onto one of them. Trevor turns to Sypha. “Any way your magic can help us out? Make it easier for everyone?”

“We can try.” She says and Trevor nods.

“Good. Then let’s head out.”

They make it back to the other village much sooner than Trevor would have guessed they would, but he figures the Speakers magic’s are responsible for most of that. The villagers stare at them with so much distrust as they walk into town and Trevor figures he would too. The bigger a population the bigger chance that the hoard is going to show up on your front door.

“There seems to still be livestock here.” Alucard says from right fucking next to him and it takes everything in his body to not lash out and strike at the vampire for his ill-timed statement and location. He takes a deep breath, holds it, and lets it out slowly.

“Hopefully I only have to say this once – but it’s probably not a good idea to sneak up on a hunter in a time like this.” He says a lot more calmly than he feels and he can see the almost apologetic look on Alucard’s face.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I only wished to point out that we might be able to convince someone to part with a horse, or a donkey.” Trevor nods.

“Yeah, that’d be for the best. You have money right?”

“I do.”

“Try and keep it out of sight, but go see if you can get one.” Trevor warns, waving him off and Alucard nods before leaving. Sypha comes over, looking a little exhausted from the continued use of magic.

“The others will stay here, and offer their services to the people.” She says and Trevor nods.

“That’ll be good. Nowhere else for them to really go unless another caravan of Speakers passes through.” He looks at her. “Do you think there are anymore of you out there?” She gets a frown at his question.

“I don’t know. I like to think there is.” There’s a heavy sadness in her words when she says them.

“Well, if they’re even half as scrappy as your group is, I’d say maybe there is too.” She gives him a grateful smile for the kindness and he runs a hand through his hair, clearing his throat. “Well, he’s looking for a horse or something that can pull a cart – see if you can’t find a covering we can put on it.” She gets a confused look at his statement.

“He did fine in the sun today?” She says, clearly misunderstanding his desire for a covering for their mode of transportation.

“I’m more concerned if it starts raining. It’ll ruin any supplies we end up taking with us.” She gets a look of understanding.

“I’ll go see what I can find.” She leaves with that and Trevor hopes that she finds something better than anything they would have potentially grabbed in Gresit. All of the tarps he saw had monster claw marks all through them. He would have thrown a few over the vampire if he had required it, but luckily that had not been the case.

Alucard returns a little while later with a healthy enough looking horse and Trevor really doesn’t want to know how much he paid for it.

“Get him hooked up.” Trevor says, pointing to the cart that he’s started preparing for their journey and Alucard moves to do so. A glance in the area he’s left shows two familiar faces, the goat fucker and his cousin/brother, and Trevor gives them his best shit-eating grin and waves. He can’t help but feel a giddy sort of amusement flow through him at the way the fat one’s face turns red but the bruises and the cuts are still prevalent on their faces and they don’t make a move to come after the Belmont again.

“Friends of yours?” Alucard asks and Trevor turns his grin to him.

“Something like that.” He says as Sypha returns with the last piece of their puzzle. “Let’s get this up and get on the road. We can’t afford to lose another day.” She hands him the covering and turns to glance in the direction of her fellow Speakers. Trevor sighs and tries to soften his voice when he speaks to her. “We’ve already lost two days…we need to get on the road if we’re going to have any hope of hitting a city that’s still semi-functioning and saving it.” She nods at his words and goes to say goodbye to them.

It’s bittersweet to watch and Trevor didn’t even really like them. But he knows what it’s like to leave his family, and he sure as hell knows what it’s like to lose them. So he gives her as much time as he possibly can, putting up the covering in almost double the amount of time it should have taken him.

Alucard keeps watching him with those golden eyes like he knows what Trevor’s doing, but he’s smart enough to keep it to himself and not say anything about it. Sypha returns and climbs up on the cart.

“So, where to?” They both look at Alucard like the half-breed has some sort of inside view to their mission and he looks out over the horizon.

“There’s a massive force of demons to the east.” He says. “It’s possible that there are still people over there that we may be able to assist.” Trevor nods at the words and hops up.

“It’s as good of a direction to start as anywhere else. Any chance father-dearest is over there?” Alucard does the most graceful shrug that Trevor has ever seen in his life and he kind of hates him for it.

“I do not know. Perhaps, perhaps not.” He answers and the shrug Trevor gives back is nothing near the one Alucard previously gave.

“Well, it’s a start. Let’s head out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're finally starting out on the journey! Yay!  
> Thank you for the kudos and the comments! Please keep them coming!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I'm getting these out a little quicker than I expected! Hopefully that keeps up!  
> Here's the next chapter for you all!

“So you can ‘sense’ demons?” Trevor asks after a few hours of easy silence. Alucard glances over at him, considering him for a moment before nodding.

“In some cases, yes.” He replies.

“’Some cases’? What does that mean?”

“The lower level ones – the weaker ones I can sense with no problems. Higher level demons can shield their power output. The chances of me being able to seek one out through sense alone is highly unlikely. Not unless they wished for it.”

“And Dracula is pretty powerful?” Trevor asks, and to be perfectly honest, he can’t help but shake his head at generations of Belmont’s who have turned their noses up at the ‘myth’ of Dracula. Since only a couple hunters here and there had ever gotten close to only the castle, but never the rumored master of it, there had been no definitive proof of the ‘Master Vampire’s’ existence. Or at least no proof before Târgovişte. There had even been some Belmont’s, like his own father, who had thought that the atrocities attributed to Dracula were actually done by multiple demons over the years. He had believed, and so had a lot of others, that ‘Dracula’ was less of a person and more of a title taken on by those who would seek to do harm and hide their true identities.

“My father is the strongest of them all.” Alucard confesses moments later, interrupting Trevor’s thoughts. “He has never been defeated, not by man or demon.” Trevor can’t help the sideways glance that he gives the vampire at that.

“Seriously?” He asks and Alucard nods. “…well shit.” He says with a shake of his head, turning his attention back to the path and running that information over again in his head.

“That is certainly one way to put it.” Alucard replies. “Crude, but accurate.” There’s a tiny amount of laughter in Alucard’s voice and Trevor glances back at him in time to catch the slightest upturn of his lips before it’s gone.

“So, if Dracula has never been defeated…how do we kill him?” Sypha asks from behind them, and any trace of levity in Alucard’s countenance disappears instantly.

“It’s quite possible that we don’t.” He says to her and both the hunter and the Speaker look at him.

“I thought that you were going to help us kill Dracula?” There’s a little bit of accusation in Trevor’s voice and Alucard nods.

“If it is possible, then it shall be done. My father’s power allows the demons a hold in this world. And as long as they are able to access it, they will continue to cross over into this world and eradicate all human life.” Alucard explains. “However, if we cannot make my father see reason – as I fear that we will not. After all, I did not manage to do so previously and while I hold hope that his mind is not as blinded by rage in the time that has passed, I will not stake the world on it – and if it ends up being true that we cannot defeat him in battle…there is another way.”

“What way is that?” Sypha asks, sounding a lot more hopeful about this mysterious third option than she does about the previous two.

“We can seal him away.” He replies to her question. “We can put him into a slumber from which hell cannot draw on his rage or his strength and will be forced to return to the pits from which they came.”

“Could we do that?” Trevor inquires and Alucard doesn’t answer his question at first, choosing instead to keep his gaze on the hills in the distance for a moment.

“I believe I could.” He answers eventually and they fall back into silence for a while. Trevor sends a few glances at the blonde, trying to gauge his thoughts on the situation before them before he speaks again.

“…would you rather we aim for that?” He asks. “Sealing him I mean?” He keeps his voice as neutral as he possibly can. “I mean, I know to us he’s _Dracula_ – but to you, he’s your dad. No one’s going to hold it against you if you’d rather not have to commit patricide.” The offer rests between them for a while.

“I fear that if we seal him, that he will just be worse when he eventually awakens again. And then this whole cycle of violence will begin all over again.” There’s a small amount of uncertainty in Alucard’s voice and it’s the first time that Trevor thinks he’s heard a wavering in the other man, and he can’t help but wonder if Alucard’s been having them on. If he’s been pretending to be so sure about their mission to hide the very real fact that he’s not sure at all.

For a moment, Trevor kind of pities him.

“Well…like you said, it’s an option. We’ll keep it in mind.” Alucard turns and gives him a tiny, grateful look; like he’s hearing the out that Trevor is offering as Sypha nods her agreement.

“Thank you.” The young vampire whispers and neither Trevor nor Sypha say anything about it. There really isn’t anything _to_ say.

“So…” Trevor starts after a while. “This ‘sensing’ thing. Can other demons sense you? I mean, you have to have some level of your father’s power.” Alucard nods slightly.

“If we were to come across something more powerful than the Hoard, then yes.” He admits. “I am…not as adept yet at hiding myself as he is…he usually shielded the both of us…to protect me from the others.” It’s another tiny piece of a puzzle of ‘Who is Dracula really?’ that Alucard has offered up that Trevor isn’t sure he really wants to know.

He was a scientist who taught medicine to a human woman and despite what Trevor’s been told about demons, he knew how to love; and he was also a father…and possibly a good one at that. Seeking to protect his family from those who might do them harm – and he failed.

“Do you think he’s brought over anything worse than the Hoard?” Trevor asks, trying to push away the thoughts of Dracula’s possible humanity.

“I think it matters not whether he intentionally brought them over or if he didn’t. The doors are open and he has no real reason not to allow it.”

“…so that’s a yes?” Trevor clarifies and Alucard nods.

“It think it would be wise to assume.” He agrees. “And to prepare for the very real possibility that my father will not be the only battle that we must overcome.” The warning that the vampire gives weighs heavily on Trevor suddenly, and he tries to push it off but it holds.

The world is overrun with demons now, but he is a Belmont – he should not be worried about it.

But no… He _was_ a Belmont. Now though? Now he’s an out of practice drunk with a shirt that has some nice embroidery on it. Alucard wasn’t far off in his line of questioning down in the keep. Was he even really a Belmont anymore? Hadn’t he turned his back on all of that the day the ashes that were once his family legacy cooled?

Could he even get it back in time? Was it possible to be what he was, what they were, again? Or was he fooling himself and he was going to become the weak link in this chain of supposed destiny?

His hands tighten on the reigns and his jaw clenches as the thoughts threaten to overwhelm him.

Time will tell he guesses. It always does.

They don’t really talk much after that, each of them off in their own little worlds as Trevor continues on for as long as he can possibly justify pushing the horse before they pull over by a small river to give it a break and make camp. Sypha gets the first option of bathing, which she takes gratefully while Alucard leaves to go hunt down an animal or two for dinner. It’s kind of entertaining how easily they all fall into a routine of setting up, like they’ve been doing this a hundred times before despite this being their first real night together. Alucard returns around the time Sypha does with two small rabbits that look like a wolf might have caught them first before the vampire took them from it.

“Would you like some?” Sypha asks, holding out some of the cooked rabbit later and Alucard accepts it with a small, grateful nod. Trevor won’t deny the small amount of fascination that he gets watching Alucard rip off pieces of meat and eat it. The vampire seems to notice it too because at one point he glances up at the hunter with a small look of challenge in his golden eyes.

“I’m just…you know.” Trevor makes a motion to the leftover rabbit as if that says everything he isn’t and the way that Alucard seems to huff and go back to it tells him that maybe it does.

Trevor opts to be first shift, and opts to get as much practice in as possible while Alucard and Sypha sleep nearby. He’s going to need all the practice he can get if he’s going to protect them. If he’s going to be the true heir to the Belmont legacy.

Alucard approaches a while later, making sure to step on small twigs and leaves that’ll alert his presence without startling the hunter. Trevor appreciates it, since the last thing he wants to do is lash out with the Vampire Killer at the half-breed again.

“Is everything alright Belmont?” Alucard asks, watching him going through the moves and he nods.

“Perfect.” He lies and the other crosses his arms in a clear signal that he doesn’t believe him. “It’s been a while.” He admits eventually, and it has. With the way his muscles are already burning, he can tell it has.

“I see.” Is Alucard’s calm response. He stands there in silence for a while, just following him with those otherworldly eyes before he comes forward. “You’re expending too much energy on wasted movement.” He says and Trevor stops to look at him as Alucard holds out his hand and his sword comes sailing to it just like before. “Put up your sword.” He commands and Trevor arches an eyebrow but does what the other bids of him. “Break through my defense.” The other commands as he stands there, looking so unconcerned and unthreatened and Trevor comes forward to do such.

His sword is knocked away in a minute flat while Alucard’s blade is at his throat. Alucard lets it sit there for a moment before backing away and motioning for Trevor to pick his weapon up again. “You’re talented Belmont, I’ll give you that; but you are used to dealing with lesser demons. Those skills will not help you here.” Alucard says as he takes his form again and gives him the acknowledgement to attack. It happens again, the same as before and Alucard returns to his initial stance. “Again.”

Trevor rushes in, parrying the blows and changes up his tactics in the last few seconds of their fight. Alucard is good – hell, he’s very good, but Trevor reaches back to the old Trevor who has been lying dormant all this time and manages to slide up under the vampire’s sword and push into his space, one of his small daggers at the other’s throat.

“How’s that?” Trevor says to the vampire and Alucard does a small, approving nod at Trevor’s victory.

“It’s a start.” He replies calmly and Trevor can’t help but shake his head in amusement as he takes a step back as Alucard takes a new defensive position.

“Again.” He commands, and Trevor obeys.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for waiting! Here's the next chapter for you all!

Truth be told, Trevor hasn’t slept this hard in forever. Or really since the time he could lay his head down on a soft pillow in the Belmont Manor and know that his family had his back. He wouldn’t go as far to call Sypha and Alucard ‘family’ after just knowing them a little over a week, but there’s definitely some amount of trust that’s grown between them. He’s silently grateful for the cart and the covering each morning, when they take off again for their general destination. His body is always worn out and pleasantly sore after the nightly training sessions with the dhampir. Alucard can be a cruel taskmaster when the situation calls for it, but Trevor doesn’t complain because thanks to it, he’s feeling a little bit more like himself as each day ticks by. He opens his eyes with a lazy stretch when Sypha reaches back and taps him on the shoulder.

“We’re here.” She says and there’s something to her voice that makes him feel like they’re either all about to die, or he’s about to see something he really doesn’t like. He sits up and turns to be able to see out of the back and he immediately realizes that the answer might just be both.

There are bodies hanging from the outer walls, or what’s left of them, being picked at by ravens. It’s clear immediately from the way that the flesh still holds to some of them that they died gruesomely after they had been strung up for all approaching the city to see. The three of them share a glance with each other as they approach the large, closed gates.

“Is this the place you were sensing?” Trevor asks and Alucard gives a small nod.

“They’re all around us.” He says ominously and Trevor has never been so grateful for a cloudless sky and a hot burning sun beating down on them.

“And the city?” Sypha inquires and Alucard nods.

“There are hundreds of lives I can sense from in there. The largest concentration of humans that I’ve been able to discern.” The dhampir responds, before a frown overtakes his face. “But…there is something else here too.” That makes both of them look at him.

“Something else?” Trevor asks. “Something like what?” The other shakes his head.

“I don’t know, but I can feel it. Something is not right here.” Alucard responds to them, his eyes tracking the walls as if they’ll tell him something about the presence he feels behind them. They all look at the gates, and Trevor won’t deny having a serious consideration of turning around and going for another encampment, before a thought hits him.

“If you can sense it…what are the chances it senses you?” The words are barely out of his mouth before the gates make a horrible groaning sound, like metal grinding and the doors pull open for them.

“Very good.” Alucard says after a moment as they all stare at the entrance. The feeling of ‘get away’ comes at Trevor again and he shakes his head.

“Yeah…I don’t think so.” He says and Sypha nods along with him, but Alucard doesn’t look sold.

“We’re surrounded by the Hoard and they’ve sensed us.” The dhampir states. “If we turn away now, we won’t get far enough away by nightfall. We will have to fight.”

“How many?”

“At least a small army.” He replies and Trevor curses.

“We can take it.” Trevor says, and he feels slightly assured about that fact. Between him, Sypha and Alucard he feels like they can take on a few dozen Hoard members. “If something in there knows about you, which choice is less dangerous?”

“Neither.” Alucard answers honestly. “Without knowing fully what is happening inside the city, I can’t adequately determine the threat level. Also, without having been in a true battle, I cannot determine a threat level to our current abilities.” He sounds so calm, so fucking rational and Trevor doesn’t like it for some reason.

There’s movement up at the gates, and it takes a moment before Trevor sees three guards waving them to come in.

“If there is a supernatural presence terrorizing this city, it is our duty to assist them.” Sypha says a few moments later and Alucard nods.

“Not to mention, we are not yet ready to face my father. A few smaller battles might do us some good.”

“Smaller battles? We don’t know that whatever is in there is going to _be_ smaller.”

“Of course we do.” Alucard answers his statement. “I’ve told you before, there are none as powerful as my father. All battles we would come across would be less than his.”

“Well that’s fucking great. Just perfect.” He rolls his shoulders and nods eventually. “You two don’t leave my sight. You don’t fucking wander away from the cart and no one goes anywhere alone. Not even to fucking piss am I clear?” The two of them nod at his command taking and he sighs.

This was undoubtedly going to bite them in the ass.

Sypha guided the cart forward, coming into the gates and Trevor tried to hold in the shiver that passed through his body as the gates closed behind them. For better or worse they were kind of stuck on their current path now. There’d be no getting the cart out through those doors unless Sypha full on blasted them to smithereens.

And he’d rather use that for a last defense.

There’s a movement next to him, and Trevor can see Alucard pull up a hood out of the corner of his eye, blocking the dhampir from view.

“Hello travelers.” One of the gates men says with far too much cheer for someone who has been dealing with the Hoard and Dracula’s minions for the last year or so.

Hell, its way to perky for someone who has dead body carcasses hanging from their walls and it kind of freaks Trevor the fuck out.

“…Hi.” He says, forcing an easy smile. “We were just hoping to find an inn? Maybe rest our horse?”

“Of course, the inn is that way.” Gate person number two offers up, pointing in a direction that takes them down a completely unblemished town square and Trevor’s smile wants to fall but he keeps it up by sheer force of will. Trevor sees them glance at them, taking in Sypha and her Speaker robes before trying to catch a glimpse of their mysterious third rider. It makes Trevor wonder why Alucard is hiding his face here, he’s never hidden it before with the other Speakers and villages.

“Thank you. We’ll be on our way by sunrise.” Trevor says and the smiles he gets from the people are like he’s a silly child who doesn’t understand anything.

“Of course.” One of them says as they let them on by and Sypha guides the horse forward.

“Well that was…” She starts to say, trailing off and Trevor nods.

“Really fucking creepy?” He supplies and Alucard makes an amused huffing noise.

“Curt as always, but I guess still true.” He says and Trevor glances at him before lowering his voice.

“Reason for the hood?”

“There are some who know who I am and what I look like. I just wanted to be sure that I did not make their job easier for them.” He replies and Trevor nods, figuring it had to be something along those lines.

“Well, let’s get to the inn and get inside. We’ll set up a protection circle and make a plan at that point.” The other two nod as they continue on and Trevor tries to pretend like he doesn’t see the dozens of beady little eyes watching from behind dark windows as they traverse the main road.

Something says that he’s not going to like whatever is coming their way. And he has little doubt that it’s probably not just going to be at the hands of something supernatural – it’s going to be at the hands of those hundreds of people that Alucard sensed living within the walls.

You didn’t get passed over by the Hoard without paying some kind of price.

And Trevor wasn’t looking forward to figuring out what that price was.


End file.
